


Music and Memories

by Ray_Writes



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27923734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_Writes/pseuds/Ray_Writes
Summary: At a joint team holiday party, Laurel coaxes some of the old Oliver she still knows and loves out for their friends to see.
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen
Comments: 15
Kudos: 27
Collections: Lauriver Holidays 2020





	Music and Memories

**Author's Note:**

> This is my day 1 submission for the Lauriver Holidays week event happening from December 6th-12th this year. Today's prompt was "caroling". I realize that Cisco's brother is the piano prodigy of his family, but Carlos Valdes has mad skills and I'm just gonna go ahead and headcanon that he learned it to honor his brother. Aside from that and with apologies for the frankly tepid title, I hope you enjoy!

No one would call her a natural host. For one thing, Laurel usually kept herself too busy to host anything. But it had been a while since Oliver had been able to have a full Christmas party without something going wrong, and Laurel wanted it to be perfect for him this year.

She’d gotten the invitations out and received the various RSVPs back from their wide-spread group of friends. The Waverider had been the only non-response, and Laurel anticipated her sister’s crew arriving with presents and eggnog in tow sometime before March. But it was to be a full house at the mayoral residence tonight, a place Laurel was becoming more familiar with now that she spent a few nights a week here. Nevertheless, she ended up recruiting Thea’s keen eye for decorating.

“You know Ollie’s gonna like whatever you do, right?” Thea asked her as they wrapped tinsel around the banisters.

“I know, but I don’t want him to just like it. Something’s always seemed to go wrong around the holiday for him the last few years, and I want him to have the chance to kick back and enjoy himself. Open up a bit more with some friends.”

It had been strange when Laurel had first realized Oliver had a reputation amongst their larger circle of vigilantes and heroes for being intimidating. Certainly he was no wallflower, and there were few criminals who didn’t regret having met him, but it was _Oliver_. Even after he had returned from the island reserved and somber, she had never even entertained the thought of being nervous or afraid around him the way some from Central and even a few of the newer vigilantes who had become active in their own city were. They just didn’t know him the way she did, and Laurel hoped this party could go a ways to changing that.

Oliver came back with a tree before dark, and she was happy to see his face light up at the sight of the decorations. “This looks great, you two. Did you come across a box for ornaments?”

“Got you covered,” Thea said.

By the time they finished decorating the tree the sun had set and the catering had arrived. For how busy they were and the size of their group, Oliver had acknowledged that cooking just wasn’t going to be possible. Laurel was just glad he wouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen for half the party.

“We better get changed,” Thea said. “They should start coming any minute now.”

Laurel nodded and followed the siblings upstairs. Oliver lent her the en suite to change in since he was just trading his shirt and tie for a deep red sweater. Laurel emerged from the bathroom in the dark green velvet dress she had bought for the occasion. “Well, we’ve got the festive colors down,” she remarked.

“That we do.” Oliver took a couple steps to meet her, one hand smoothing up her back while she placed her own hand to his chest. This kind of closeness between them creates a kind of giddiness in her, still; it hadn’t been all that long ago that she thought they’d never be this way again.

The doorbell ringing interrupted the moment, and they had to make it back downstairs quickly to meet the first of their guests, Mari with a covered dish under her arm. Laurel gave her friend a side hug and directed her to the table to set it down with everything else.

For the food, they had set up a buffet of sorts with little standing tables here and there, their gathering too large to fit at a table, even if the one in the dining room nearly rivaled the old one that had been back at the Queen Manor.

More and more people filtered in; John and Lyla, minus the twins; her father; then the Flash team from Central City, which upped the noise level in the house dramatically.

Hugs were exchanged, conversations springing up in pockets here and there as people got food and found places to stand or sit and eat. Everyone was having a good time catching up with each other and about the various goings-on in their respective cities.

One thing Laurel noted with warmth in her chest was the lack of alcohol. They’d told their friends it was BYOB, but the fact that all of them had decided simply to go without for tonight was a quiet, yet deeply moving gesture to her, though she managed not to get too teary about it.

She did her best to play the part of hostess, flitting between groups here and there and checking in with each of her friends. Her dad was doing well talking shop with Detective Joe West, so she didn’t feel too badly about only stopping by him for a moment or so. She was glad the other cop had decided to come, even if he supposedly wasn’t too fond of Star City or its residents.

Laurel spotted Oliver once talking to Barry then again later standing alone by a table. She was in the middle of a conversation with Caitlin and Iris at the time, and once it had wrapped up he had moved somewhere else. She hoped it was to speak with one of their other friends.

She registered music coming from the sitting room. Apparently someone had found the piano that sat there, totally unused. It actually didn’t sound that badly out of tune. Laurel was only mildly surprised to find Cisco at the keys when she wandered into the room. Her friend had a lot of talents.

“Laurel, come over here!” Cisco’s summons accompanied by a charming grin was infectious, and Laurel made her way to the piano. “What are we singing? _Good King Wenceslas_?”

She shook her head with a laugh and he banged out a couple heavy-handed chords. “Maybe something a little more modern.”

“Mm-hm. Let’s do some Stevie.”

“Okay,” Laurel agreed. She knew the song; it had always been one of her favorites. And since the emergence of her powers had gifted her a good ear and a strong voice, she’d gotten more and more comfortable with using it for an audience.

Cisco started to play and took the first verse. _“Someday at Christmas men won't be boys, playing with bombs like kids play with toys. One warm December our hearts will see a world where men are free.”_

He nodded for her to take the next one. She placed a hand on the closed lid of the piano and drew a breath.

“ _Someday at Christmas there'll be no wars. When we have learned what Christmas is for. When we have found what life's really worth, there’ll be peace on earth.”_

Cisco joined back in.

_“Someday all our dreams will come to be. Someday in a world where men are free. Maybe not in time for you and me, but someday at Christmastime.”_

She tossed her head shift her hair over her shoulder and happened to catch Oliver’s eyes across the room. Others were standing around, swaying to the music and smiling, but the sheer _tenderness_ in his gaze as he watched her stole her breath for a second. Laurel almost missed coming back in.

_“Whoa, someday at Christmas there'll be no tears. When all men are equal and no man has fears. One shining moment one prayer away from our world today.”_

She couldn’t seem to look away from Oliver now. Maybe, in a way, she wanted to be sure he heard this. How many times had he struggled to keep going or felt like he was losing his way? He judged himself so harshly for not being able to save everyone or stop every disaster. What they did for their city, it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t for the short-term. They were fighting now in the hopes that they were making a better future for those who came next, and that didn’t have to mean it was hopeless even if they never saw it themselves.

_“Someday all our dreams will come to be. Someday in a world where men are free. Maybe not in time for you and me, but someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmastime.”_

There was a good deal of clapping from their friends, almost all of whom had found their way to the sitting room at this point to listen. They stood or sat in clumps around the room, all except Ollie who was back against the wall on his own. Laurel thought for a moment, then came up with an idea, turning to Cisco.

“Can you look up a song really quick for me and wing it?” Laurel leaned in and whispered her plan quickly, causing Cisco’s eyes to light up as he nodded and grabbed the tablet for some research.

Laurel stood straight and crossed the room towards where Oliver stood. “That was beautiful,” he told her, and she ducked her head with a pleased smile.

“Hold the praise. I’m about to do something you might not like.”

“Oh?”

Laurel held out her hand, and she was gratified that he took it even if he was raising an eyebrow at her while doing so. She led him back over towards the piano.

“Okay, everyone,” she called out, waiting for the general chatter of voices to die down a little. “Thank you all so much for coming out and for making this truly a happy holiday for all of us.”

“We really appreciate it,” Oliver added, which she’d been hoping for.

“Christmas is Ollie’s favorite holiday, and I actually know what his favorite Christmas song was from back when we were growing up…”

Oliver turned his head sharply towards her, but Laurel wasn’t done.

“And I’m hoping that he will agree to sing it with me for you all tonight.”

A great whoop of excitement went around the room, accompanied by scattered laughs and giggles. Barry in particular looked like his Christmas had just arrived a few days early.

“Do it, Ollie!” Thea called from her perch on the arm of the couch. It seemed to kick off a scattered chant of “Do it, do it!” around the room.

Oliver looked down at her, attempting to appear stern. “Really?”

“Come on. It’s Christmas,” she reminded him.

He hung his head for a moment, then held out a hand to quiet the chanting that had only grown louder and more unified. “Cisco, do your worst.”

“You got it,” their friend replied with an ear to ear beam. 

“I’ll start it off for you,” Laurel promised softly as the opening chords were played. _“When Christmas time is over and presents put away, don't be sad. There'll be so much to treasure about this Christmas day and the fun we've had.”_

She nodded at him encouragingly, and with a sigh, he joined in, a little rough but mostly on pitch. _“So many happy feelings to celebrate with you, and, oh, the good times hurry by so fast. But even when it's over there's something you can do to make Christmas last.”_

“I love this so much,” Cisco remarked as he swiped to the next page for the chorus.

“Ollie, is this Sesame Street?” Barry asked, looking up from his phone which he’d clearly been using for a quick search.

Oliver nearly pulled away, but Laurel slipped her arm around his waist. _“Keep Christmas with you all through the year. When Christmas is over, you can keep it near. Think of this Christmas day when Christmas is far away.”_

To her relief and delight, Thea stood up and pressed herself to Oliver’s other side, joining in with her own voice. Apparently she could still remember this, too.

 _“Keep Christmas with you all through the year. When Christmas is over save some Christmas cheer. These precious moments—”_ with his sister’s support, Oliver had joined back in, and she felt him wind his own arm around her waist, drawing her into his side. _“—hold them very dear. And keep Christmas with you all through the year.”_

Cisco had started singing along as he played as well, and over by the tree she saw her dad grinning fondly at their group while Joe West looked on them with total bemusement, stunned, she supposed, at seeing the Green Arrow this way.

_“Christmas means the spirit of giving_

_Peace and joy to you. The goodness of loving, the gladness of living; these are Christmas, too.”_

Barry had his phone out still and was sharing it with Caitlin and Iris to read the words off the screen while Mari came up to the piano to read over Cisco’s shoulder. John and Lyla seemed to know the words on their own, and the whole room was ringing with their combined voices by the end.

_“So, keep Christmas with you all through the year. When Christmas is over save some Christmas cheer. These precious moments, hold them very dear. And keep Christmas with you all through the year.”_

Cisco ended his playing with a great flourish, and cheers and clapping went up around the room, “Merry Christmas!” shouted here and there.

“That didn’t hurt much, did it?” Laurel asked quietly.

“No,” Oliver said, and she felt his lips press against her temple. “Not at all. Thank you.”

There friends were all lining up to share their favorite carol or song with Cisco to look up, and though their voices would no doubt be hoarse by tomorrow, Laurel knew it was worth it seeing Oliver, alight with happiness in the center of the room the way she knew he still could be.

**Author's Note:**

> Songs used were 1967's "Someday at Christmas" (written by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells for Stevie Wonder) and 1977's "Keep Christmas With You (All Through the Year)" (music and lyrics by Sam Pottle and David Axelrod for Bob McGrath).


End file.
